Data provided by the participants of the Consortium of California Herbaria

View additional distribution information on the Jepson eflora

Bolboschoenus robustus is a species of flowering plant in the sedge family. It is known by many common names: saltmarsh bulrush, alkali bulrush, sturdy bulrush, seacoast bulrush, stout bulrush, three-cornered sedge or leafy three-cornered sedge, and seaside club-rush. B. robustus is native to North America, where it can be found along the eastern and southern coasts from Nova Scotia south to Florida and along the Gulf coastline to Tabasco. It is also known in California, Bermuda, the Bahamas and northern South America. It is most often a coastal species, occurring in wet habitat such as marshes in brackish and saltwater. It is a perennial herb growing from a rhizome system with associated tubers. The erect stems are three-angled, the angles rough with short hairs. They reach well over a meter in maximum height. The leaves sheath the stem and have long, flat or v-shaped blades. The inflorescence bears one or more clusters of many spikelets as well as long, leaflike bracts.

Plant type

Grass

Size

3 - 5 ft Tall

Calscape icon
Color

Brown

Special uses

Water features or wet habitats

Sun

Full Sun

Water

Moderate, High

Soil drainage

Standing

Propagation

For propagating by seed: Store in water in refrigerator at 35° to 39°F 6 mos., then germinate in water at 86° to 89.8°F in continuous high light (180-200 foot candles) (Isely 1944)

Site type

Marshes

Plant communities

Alkali Sink, Coastal Salt Marsh, Freshwater Marsh, Wetland-Riparian

Caterpillars
Butterflies

Butterflies and moths supported

0 confirmed and 5 likely

Confirmed Likely

Mottled Marble

Bactra furfurana

Bactra maiorina

Javelin Moth

Bactra verutana